Quick review –
Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, leave the promised land—the promise of God—for a cursed land and its people, the Moabites, due to a judgment on Israel. This occurred during the time of the judges, most likely in Gideon’s era. The book of Judges focuses on Israel’s choice to live apart from God, where “each one did what was right in their own eyes,” resulting in God withdrawing His blessing from the people. They would suffer and repent, and then God would raise up a deliverer. While there, Elimelech dies, and his two sons marry Moabite women; then they die, leaving all three widowed and destitute. The daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth each make their own choices. Orpah stays in Moab and remarries, while Ruth decides to stay with her mother-in-law, choosing her God, her people, and even a life of potential destitution over starting a new life with a new husband in Moab. They arrive in Bethlehem, Naomi’s hometown, to great fanfare. The assumption is that the home they abandoned over ten years ago is still there, and they move in, but now they need to start finding food. Chapter one ends with the phrase, “it was the time of the barley harvest.” That is where we pick up the story.
Ruth 2:1-3(NLT)
Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
We are given details that Naomi and Ruth did not know. The phrase in verse 3, “And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz” in the Hebrew, it is telling us it was a plan by God, but would have seemed a coincidence in man’s eyes!
There are no coincidences in God, he orchestrates everything for our good to bless us, as he did with Ruth choosing to go to Boaz’s field.
The word used for “wealthy and influential man also means brave and powerful leader and warrior!
What we see here is Israel’s welfare system at work.
Leviticus 19:9,10(NKJV)
When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
God’s welfare system has always been that if a person has the ability to work then they should and those who are blessed should help provide for them without hurting themselves.
This ties in with 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NKJV)
For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.
This is the same thing; if a person is healthy enough to work, they should not be lazy and expect others to care for them. If they can not work, the Bible contains enough verses telling us to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan, the aged, and the disabled.
Naomi was too old to work in the fields, the blessing of God was on Naomi because of her daughter-in-law Ruth was young and healthy enough to work
Ruth 2:4-7
While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The LORD be with you!” he said.“The LORD bless you!” the harvesters replied.
5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?” 6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”
We see a way to treat employees and employers. Boaz blessed his employees, and they, in turn, blessed him. The tongue has the power to build people up or tear them down. Scripture also tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Boaz showed his heart for his employees by blessing them, and they, in turn, blessed him. Scripture also teaches that the power of the tongue is both life and death. Speak life to your employees, co-workers, and boss!
In chapter 1, we learn that the entire town was abuzz about Naomi’s return with Ruth. There is an implication that Boaz might have been akin to the mayor of the town, so he surely would have heard. He starts to make a connection.
Ruth 2:8,9
Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
Boaz is granting Ruth special privilege
– she is doesn’t need to worry about gleaning anywhere else as she is invited to always glean in his field
– gleaners were not permitted in the field until the harvest was taken up. Boaz is allowing her to come early giving her the opportunity to gather the most
– normally his security would stop people from gleaning early but he has told them to allow her free access.
Prophecy to us is spoken word and fulfillment…The messiah will be born in Bethlehem, Micah 5:2 then Jesus is born in Bethlehem. However, to Jewish scholars, prophecy is pattern and type.
I will explain this in more detail next week… Naomi is a type of Israel, Ruth being a Gentile, is a type of the church. Boaz is a type of Christ, our redeemer…just chew on that a bit. It will be clearer to you next week. Another hint, unless you understand the book of Ruth, you can not understand Revelation chapter 5.
Ruth 2: 10-13
Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” 11 “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” 13 “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”
Moabite women had a particular beauty about them that was attractive to Israeli men. In Numbers 25 the nation got seduced by Moabite women. Boaz has definitely noticed Ruth, her outward beauty may have been one reason and he also heard of the beauty of her integrity. Boaz would bless Ruth and open doors for her but he would never push her, she would need to willingly come to him. Ruth misses his affection for her as she calls herself a “worker” which in the Hebrew is actually lowly servant. Jesus has plans to give us everything, to bring us into a great intimacy with him to where we truly understand who we are and how much he loves us but so many are stuck thinking of themselves as lowly servants.
Ruth 2: 14
At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.
Boaz begins reaching out in a greater intimacy preparing a meal for her. He gave her the best that he had in the field and treated her with great respect and honor, giving her rest and peace, even giving her more than enough so she could take it to Naomi.
Ruth 2:15-18
When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. 16 And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!” 17 So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 18 She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.
Boaz is making sure that her burden of caring for herself and her mother-in-law is easier. She would be able to gather more than would have normally been expected and because they were harvesting for her it was easier for her to harvest the grain. Like Boaz, Jesus is always reaching out to us always trying to bless us even before we come to him, how much more does he want to bless us now that we have come to him!
Ruth 2: 19-23
“Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the LORD bless the one who helped you!” So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
20 “May the LORD bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.” 22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.” 23 So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.
Upon Ruth’s return, Naomi is blessed with the abundance far beyond anything she would have expected. She didn’t send Ruth to work in Boaz’s field, but God drew Ruth to Boaz. Boaz worked to bless her in every way, and Naomi is blessed by Boaz through Ruth. Naomi knows something is up, Ruth doesn’t seem to have a clue or understand the customs but Naomi will begin to help through the customs to have Ruth, have all the land and themselves redeemed through Boaz. The first harvest was about April the time of the Passover and the wheat harvest would have been in June at the time of Pentecost.
Boaz, being a type of Christ, is drawing Ruth to himself providing for her blessing her, protecting her. Even going beyond what was expected to over-bless her. He apparently kept at it and Ruth was not really aware of how blessed she was she was content to accept her “servanthood” but as we will see next week, Boaz had bigger plans as God does for us.
This was also the beginning of a healing time for Naomi as she had believed God was against her had been punishing her, but in reality, he wasn’t holding her accountable for Elimelech’s lack of faith, God had plans to bless her because of Ruth’s faith and God had brought Ruth into her life.
God always has a plan to bless those who choose to trust Him. Notice Ruth didn’t sit around waiting for the blessing she knew what she had to do, she started then God blessed her faithfulness
God really loves you. He has placed people in your life to bless you! What others have done doesn’t limit God’s plan for you if you will just be faithful! Through you, he will bless others. Boaz had gone a long time without a wife, but because of Ruth and Naomi’s faithfulness, Boaz too was blessed!